The Google Travel Takeover And What It Means For SEO
Google Flights and Google Hotels have dominated travel-related Google search terms in recent years, which has been seen as a threat by many travel operators.
External Articles
What’s Driving Luxury Travelers In 2024, According To McKinsey
Travel is one of the world’s largest industries. According to McKinsey, $8.6 trillion will be spent on travel in 2024, representing roughly 9 percent of this year’s global GDP.
By 2026, Online Reservations Will Account for 65% of Travel Bookings
According to new research from Phocuswright, the global travel market has rebounded significantly, surpassing pre-pandemic levels with a 24% increase in gross bookings in 2023, reaching a total spend of $1.5 trillion. The industry is projected to grow between 6-10% annually through 2026. (Note: Phocuswright and TravelAge West are both owned by Northstar Travel Group.)
From exclusive to inviting: How approachable luxury is transforming hospitality
Luxury hospitality is back and booming. According to a 2024 McKinsey & Company report, demand for upscale tourism and hospitality is expected to grow faster than any other travel segment. However, as this industry continues to evolve, so does the modern traveler and the type of stay they are looking for.
Inside The StandardX Hospitality Brand, And Its Debut Melbourne Hotel
The Standard, Hollywood set the blueprint for a new wave of hotels, one that incorporated cool culture, experiences, style, and an alluring vibe that attracted guests and visitors alike, whether for a lie down, a nightcap or a wild party—and in its 25th anniversary year, Standard International is back with its latest concept, meet The StandardX.
Maximize your hotel stays: 10 best hotel loyalty programs of 2024
Just about every hotel brand offers some sort of loyalty program for their guests, rewarding frequent stays with discounted or free nights, in addition to other perks such as upgrades, free Wi-Fi, or late check-out. With so many programs to choose from, how do you pick the right one to save big bucks on travel?
Google Hotel Listings Under Siege: Fake WhatsApp Numbers & Marking As Closed
I am hearing reports of some spammers or hackers hijacking some Google Hotel listings by marking some hotels as permanently closed and also changing the phone numbers to WhatsApp numbers. This can be a huge concern for many hotel operators, but I am not sure how widespread the issue is.
Is there untapped potential in hospitality subscriptions?
At first glance, a travel subscription seems like a consumer dream - unlimited travel, discounted travel or travel perks? Where’s the sign-up sheet?
Could Amazon Become A Major Player In Travel?
Amazon, which boasted record-breaking sales during this week's Prime Day event, made headlines for its travel-related offerings, something of a novelty for the company.
Barcelona anti-tourism protesters fire water pistols at visitors
Protesters in Barcelona have sprayed visitors with water as part of a demonstration against mass tourism.
Why The Luxury Hospitality Industry is Retail’s Latest Flex
While luxury fashion houses like Chanel and Dior have been operating seasonal popup stores for over a decade, the concept has, of late, evolved into more experiential partnerships with the hospitality industry.
How Google and Meta could disrupt travel discovery with AI
The travel industry, worth an estimated $9.5 trillion in 2023, has long been a prime target for tech giants like Google and Meta. With AI, they aim to capture a larger share of the lucrative travel market.
Podcast: How Booking.com Sustains a Culture of Innovation
Booking.com was founded by a Dutch university student in 1996. It grew slowly for almost a decade. By 2011, the company was generating more than a billion dollars in profits annually — making it the most financially successful digital travel market at the time. The secret to that accelerating growth was the company’s use of large-scale testing and experimentation.
Google’s Algorithm Leak And What It Means For Travel SEO
If you're in marketing, you've likely heard about the recent Google API documentation leak. On May 27, SEO practitioner Erfan Azimi exposed more than 2,500 pages of Google’s internal API documentation, providing unprecedented insights into how the search giant’s algorithm functions.
Inside Ilma, Ritz-Carlton’s New 224-Suite Luxury Cruise Liner
The Ritz-Carlton wants to give you a virtual tour of its second cruise liner.
Booking Holdings added to European Union's list for strict digital scrutiny
Booking Holdings, the U.S. company that owns Booking.com and a number of other travel websites, has been added to the European Union’s list of companies now under heightened digital scrutiny.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, said Monday that it’s classing Booking Holdings as an online gatekeeper and that the company’s Booking.com hotel reservation site meets the threshold to be classed as a “core platform service” under the 27-nation bloc’s Digital Markets Act. The sweeping set of rules is designed to prevent Big Tech platforms from dominating online markets.
Big hotel chains and unbranded-hotel owners find they need each other
Independent hotel operators and giant global chains are increasingly linking up in franchise agreements as high-interest rates have slammed the hospitality industry, slowing down new hotel construction.
Hilton has a pair of new hotel brands that are sparking travelers’ interest
Hilton, the global hotel brand with more than 7,500 hotels and 22 brands, unveiled two new hotel brands this year.
McKinsey Insight: How the world’s best hotels deliver exceptional customer experience
Luxury hospitality begins with a signature property, but a well-situated, beautifully designed hotel is only a start. Stellar service, driven by devoted hotel staff, is what makes a great property come alive. As one general manager (GM) of a luxury hotel told us in an interview, “Our facility is our stage, and guests are paying for a performance.”